Circuit Clerk Office Remains Open Despite Order

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LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) -- Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's order for state circuit and district court offices to close on Wednesday's starting today. Moore issued the order earlier this month to help save the state money. However, Limestone County may have wiggled its way out of the order at the request of Circuit Court Judge Woodruff.

Limestone County Cirucit Clerk Brad Curnutt says the plan doesn't work well for their office. "Wednesdays are typically a very busy day for us," said Curnutt. "We have the district courts operating that day and typically most of those will be people that will be upstairs, get a fine and come downstairs, pay their fine and leave."

Curnutt says if his office isn't open on Wedneday, then those people will have to come back to pay their fine, if they come back at all. "We felt like there would be a loss of revenue and that was part of the exemption that Judge Woodruff filed with the Chief Justice."

Curnutt said that asking for exemption from the Wednesday closings was not an act of defiance, but his office is just understaffed and they need to keep their doors open. "We're just trying to do the best we can right now with what we have," he said.

Judge Woodruff had not gotten the official word yet (as of 6:00 p.m.), but we did talk with a spokeman for the Administrative Office of Courts in Montgomery and he told us that Roy Moore has granted Limestone County an exemption.